Interesting concept spoilt by over the top, explosive action

Rating: 5/10 (21 May 2006)

Curiosity Killed The Clone
When we think of Michael Bay, provocative, insightful, and thoughtful aren't really the words that spring to mind. Over the years, Bay's name has become tantamount with constant, superfluous explosions, masculine characters bursting with testosterone and sappy, unnecessary love interests. Basically this man is the epitome of Hollywood and all it's shortcomings. But, it seems, the director of Armageddon, Pearl Harbour and Bad Boys has decided to cast away his tendency to create overkill and craft an interesting and challenging film  or so the first forty minutes of The Island would have us believe. But soon after, the fervent Bay shows us step one in how to riddle a delicate flower with bullets.
Opening with several disturbing flashes of memories/nightmares, we are introduced to the dystopian and sterile future of 2019. Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan Mcregor), his close friend Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), and the rest of their white-wearing companions are literally contained within a factory-like bubble, supposedly built to keep the human race from contamination. Regular exercise, a nutritious diet, no physical contact and a discouragement towards "emotional outbursts" keep these finely tuned specimens running like machines  healthy and perfect. Like Big Brother from George Orwell's Sci-Fi classic '1984', Sean Bean's Dr Merrick meticulously surveys every minute detail of his Institute's inhabitants and their monotonous lives.
The set, costume design and musical score work seamlessly for this shocking concept of the future. The electronic score blended with real world instruments like strings and acoustic guitar produces an artificially distorted and systematic reflection of the present, while wild, spiritual drumbeats also emphasize the concepts of rebirth (renaissance if you will) that become evident. White, bar-coded citizens walk in single file throughout this sterile, almost drone-like environment characterised by dreary greys, flat whites and pale blues. Various corporations' logos like Puma, Microsoft and Apple appear, but product placement, a common aspect of Bay films, actually assists the atmosphere in this case by reinforcing the role of the facility's oblivious citizens as mere products of the system.
The only way to escape this harmonious yet repetitive Hell is to win "The Lottery"  a trip to the Heaven-like "Island", Earth's single remaining pathogen-free zone. But once Lincoln begins to pronounce existential thoughts, something none of his vastly uneducated and almost child-like comrades have ever shown, this intricate web of lies begins to disintegrate before his very eyes. Steve Buscemi's cynical yet reluctantly moral McCord reveals to Lincoln and Jordan the ultimate truth: they aren't "real" people, but "insurance policies" for the real world's rich to cheat death, infertility, or unfavourable idiosyncratic qualities. Here, several ethical questions are raised. What is the value of human life? How far will humanity go to survive? Is it possible that humans will simply become products?
After this captivating yet brief exploration of humanity, 'The Island' becomes a different film: it becomes a Bay film. As we are constantly bombarded with a plethora of explosions as cars, trucks, helicopters and buildings smash and crash, the film risks becoming one, massive chase. But, as shallow as this gung ho action is, it is also enrapturing. A particularly impressive scene involves huge, dumbbell like objects tumbling across a freeway, resulting in absolute mayhem. When great, computer generated flying trains zigzag through the gargantuan conglomerate of sky-high buildings, we don't even pause to consider that this isn't real. However, as spectacular as the staggering action and grandiose effects are, it all feels a clone itself. We've seen car chases on a grander scale in 'The Matrix: Reloaded', mind-boggling effects in 'War of The Worlds', and flying jet-bikes are strangely reminiscent of 'Star Wars: The Return Of The Jedi'.
This massive overload also lets Bay show his real expertise: camera work. We watch through speeding dolly shots and soaring crane shots as our heroes "Run!" through this futuristic city sprawl. Still shots dart back and forth, left and right. For action fans, this really is Bay at his best. However, as much as this assists the heightening of action, and reflects this distorted, stale future, the ceaseless toggling of camera views between every angle conceivable by man leaves us mesmerised and begging for air.
The cast also has little time to breath in this hysterical sensory-overload. Although Bean is tight and strong as the insatiable yet seemingly benign Dr Merrick, the script and relentless action stops the central characters from developing. McGregor and Johansson are immensely constricted by their roles as uneducated, teenage-like 'individuals'. McGregor, star of hits like 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Star Wars: Episodes 1-3', shows his great versatility as an actor in some scenes, but the chronic action sequences soon succeed in squashing this as the chase erupts again. FHM's Sexiest Woman in the World (2006) Johansson, who starred alongside Bill Murray in the quirky 'Lost In Translation' also gains no chance of producing a fine character, and only appears as enticing eye-candy. Strangely enough, the most interesting and imaginative performances appear in the minor characters: the amusing McCord and belligerent mercenary (Djimon Hounsou). Alas, this only results in even less empathy being attached to our protagonists.
Verdict: Admittedly, this is Bay at his best: he has attempted to produce a fine and confrontational film, but the problem with 'The Island' is that it struggles to define itself. The film begins as an imaginative piece, but suddenly descends into a thrill ride that soon feels stale through borrowed ideas. The passionate action fan should find a home on 'The Island': the massive array of explosions, special effects and smashing glass shouldn't disappoint. For anyone else this is simply a great idea that, in the right hands, could have been better.